ZigZag (magazine)

"ZigZag" was the name of a cutting-edge UK rock music magazine. Started in 1969 by Pete Frame the magazine was famous for its thorough interviews, well-researched articles, innovative "rock trees" (see below) and taste in American songwriters such as Michael Nesmith, Mickey Newbury, Gene Clark, etc..).

Essentially, it was a two men newspaper (John Tobler and Pete Frame) for the first half of the 1970s. Frame later said: "None of the English music papers wrote about the music I liked. They all concentrated on popular acts, but I was interested in the Underground scene. So I decided to start a magazine for people who liked the same kind of music I did. I called it Zigzag after the Captain Beefheart track "Zigzag Wanderer" and also the cigarette papers, which were used for rolling joints." [ [http://www.cloudsandclocks.net/interviews/PFrame_interview.html Clouds and Clocks - 1999 interview with Pete Frame] ]

After dying a first time, the magazine was bought by a publisher and become a regular monthly with even some colour inside. This period was marked by more musical British influence such as pub rock and the precursor of punk (Dr Feelgood, The Stranglers). Around 1977, a quiet revolution led by Kris Needs, saw "ZigZag" went though a third period where the magazine was totally devoted to punk. This also around that time that Pete Frame distanced himself and published the first book of its famous series of 'rock trees' tracing changing personnel line-ups in the rock music world.

"ZigZag" continued to be published in London till the beginning of the 80s. It is not clear when and why it was discontinued.

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